Imagine nine Chinese carrier battle groups projecting power across the globe while simultaneously pressuring rivals across key maritime areas and flashpoints such as the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and the Western Pacific.
Long thought to be an ultimate ambition of Beijing, this may become a reality much sooner than anticipated.
Last month, the Pentagon revealed that Beijing aims to build six additional aircraft carriers by 2035. Construction of the first of these, China¡¯s first nuclear-powered carrier, is apparently already under way, potentially enabling the world¡¯s largest navy to display military might anywhere in the world and maintain a sustained presence in strategically important waters.
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